ARAI begins probe on Volkswagen cheated emission tests in India

VW has admitted that 11 million cars worldwide were fitted with the software that helped in manipulating emission tests. It is now facing investigations in the US, South Korea, France, Italy, Canada, Germany and the UK. Australia has said it is monitoring the situation.PTI | September 26, 2015, 08:35 IST

The allegations against Germany's largest car maker were initially raised by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which last week ordered it to recall nearly half a million diesel cars.

VW has admitted that 11 million cars worldwide were fitted with the software that helped in manipulating emission tests. It is now facing investigations in the US, South Korea, France, Italy, Canada, Germany and the UK. Australia has said it is monitoring the situation.

The allegations against Germany's largest car maker were initially raised by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which last week ordered it to recall nearly half a million diesel cars fitted with a device that allowed cars to pass emission control tests by showing much lower levels of pollution than in ordinary use.

A special software enabled the cars to detect when they were on emission control test and lower their pollution levels. It could hide the fact that the emission levels of diesel cars were 40 times higher than the level of pollutants allowed in the US.

Prices of most SUVs were cut between Rs 1.1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh following the implementation of GST, which subsumed over a dozen central and state levies like excise duty, service tax, and VAT from July 1.